'A Mob Story' at the Plaza Hotel & Casino

Recently making its debut at the renovated Plaza Showroom, A Mob Story is one of the most anticipated Las Vegas original productions in some time for a number of reasons, not the least of which is its creator and director. Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jeff Kutash, who also produced the long-running Vegas classic Splash, is at the helm of the new show, which tells the tale of the mob in Las Vegas in an authentic way.
 “This is my first time coming back to Las Vegas with what we consider a seriously innovative form of theater, and we think we’re going to change the landscape again,” Kutash said. “You’ll walk into that theater and see something you can’t see anywhere else and be moved emotionally and captivated for an hour and 20 minutes. Everything we’re doing in this show is a highlight. It’s a half-dozen shows within one.”
It’s hard to compare A Mob Story to anything else. An eclectic soundtrack and a talented dance troupe serve as a creative framing device for the gritty storytelling aspect of the show, anchored by someone who knows the mob’s history better than anyone: Michael Franzese, the only high-ranking official of a major crime family to ever walk away from the mob and survive. The former caporegime of the New York City Colombo crime family and son of underboss and enforcer John “Sonny” Franzese, Michael Franzese was one of the most wealthy and powerful Mafia bosses in the country, operating legal and illegal businesses until he was convicted on racketeering charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Now a speaker and author of several books, Franzese goes way back with Kutash—the producer introduced Franzese to his future wife on the set of a breakdancing movie in 1984—and they’ve been working on this show’s concept for years. 
Franzese brings the authenticity in his role as onstage narrator. “This is a story that hasn’t been told,” he said. “You have mob in Chicago, Cleveland, Kansas City, New Orleans and other cities, but the strength of that life is New York. Anything that happened in Las Vegas, New York had a hand in it also. Being a part of that life for so long, I picked up a lot of knowledge and some of the people involved I knew personally.” The placement of A Mob Story is also significant. For years, the Las Vegas Strip has had the lock on original production shows with few such entertainment options available in historic downtown Las Vegas. Ideally situated at the head of the Fremont Street Experience, The Plaza is providing the remedy. “We had a choice of several hotels including those on the Strip to put this show, but we felt we needed to help reinvigorate downtown because this kind of entertainment is practically absent there,” said Kutash. “At this point downtown has this incredible following, it’s been built up as this terrific alternative to the Strip and we’re really excited about the kind of experience we can create there.”
Plaza, 7:30 p.m. Wed.-Sat., $59.95-$150 plus tax and fee. 800.634.6575